2473  Watching tango, rhythms.

Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 12:24:53 -0700
From: Rick McGarrey <rickmcg@FLASH.NET>
Subject: Watching tango, rhythms.

Bruno writes:
"I would like to find out what tango music the last two posts are referring to?
Is it tango music from the 1950's repertoire or are we talking about more
modern tango music. I thought that if the tango music has a distinctive compass
of 4 beats then there is an obvious frame of reference where more skilled
dancers can be gauged as being in tune in body and mind with the music.
Otherwise, with no distinctive compass in the music then, I presume, it becomes
harder to tell who the best dancers are."
I know Bruno has a knowledge of early tango dancing and music that is much
greater than mine, so I'm not sure about the earliest rhythms- like perhaps
canyengue. I was referring to the Golden Age music (tango, vals, milonga) that
is now commonly played in the milongas in BsAs. In all of the tangos I hear a
steady beat, with a lesser beat in between (the beat is called 'el compas' in
castellano). I'm told this is 2/4 time (although my knowledge of music theory
is zero). Generally speaking, walking to this tango rhythm means stepping on
the beat, with the heels passing each other on the half beat. There may be
exceptions, but all of the tangos I hear have this rhythm- although it isn't
always obvious. Pugliese often hides it, and then brings it back with a
vengeance- 'Gallo Ciego' for example. D'Arienzo, on the other hand, throws it
right in your face, and wraps melodies around it. 'El Cencerro' is a great
example of this driving tango rhythm. It was music like this that filled up
the old BsAs dance floors with a thousand people. In 'Cencerro' he uses the
relentless compas of the badoneon in eight count phrases, and wraps other
bandoeneon and string melodies around it in a way that virtually grabs you and
tells you how to dance tango. This sounds a bit analytical... but listen to
it. D'Arienzo takes your hand and tells you when to hit the half beats, when
to pause, when to do a giro. If you can't hear it, you're in the wrong
business. It should be part of every beginners class.
D'Arienzo himself was a very visceral musician. One of the great pleasures of
tango is to watch old films of him jerking and rocking around in front of his
orchestra- a little middle aged man in his accountant's coat and tie, as out of
control as any rock star on PCP.